Jason Worilds life and biography

Jason Worilds is a former American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.

PRO:
Drafted by the Steelers in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft…entered the NFL Draft following his junior season.

COLLEGE:
Started 25-of-41 games, recording 133 tackles (64 solos) with 15.5 sacks for minus-113 yards, 34.5 stops for losses totaling 165 yards and 75 pressures, caused five fumbles, deflected two passes, returned a blocked punt seven yards and blocked one field goal attempt…registered 43 total tackles (assist/solos) for loss and stopped ball carriers at the line of scrimmage 14 times, delivering 19 of those hits inside the red zone, including eight on goal line plays…his 38 QB pressures in 2009 led the major college ranks, as he joined Darryl Tapp (35 in 2005) and Chris Ellis (38 in 2007) as the only Hokies to produce 30 or more pressures in a season during the Frank Beamer era (1987-present)…Apparel, Housing and Resource Management/Consumer Studies major. 2009: All-America third-team and All-ACC first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report…earned second-team All-ACC accolades from the league’s coaches and media…rated as the second-best defensive end in college football by CBS Sports…named the ACC preseason Defensive Player of the Year by various news services and football publications…made 50 tackles (16 solos) with 5.0 sacks for minus-31 yards, 11.5 stops for losses of 46 yards and led the nation with a school record-tying 38 quarterback pressures…also caused a fumble…his 38 pressures tied the Tech season-record that was first set by Chris Ellis in 2007. 2008: Played in 13 games, starting all but the Georgia Tech contest at boundary-side defensive end…recorded 64 tackles (37 solos), fourth-best on the squad…ranked third in the ACC with a team-high eight sacks for minus-66 yards, as he also paced the Hokies with 18.5 tackles for losses totaling 93 yards and 21 pressures…caused four fumbles, including two that led to Tech TDs…deflected one pass and blocked a field goal…two of his pressures caused interceptions…gave up just three first downs all year, one vs. the run and two vs. the pass…blocked a field goal attempt versus Boston College. 2007: Appeared in 13 contests, missing the William & Mary clash after spraining his ankle the previous week vs. Ohio University…earned the Excalibur Award, the top honor given to the best performer in Tech’s strength and conditioning program…recipient of the George Preas Award as the defensive MVP of spring practice…changed his last name to Worilds…ranked fourth on the team with 14 pressures…registered 17 tackles (9 solos) with 2.5 sacks for minus-16 yards and 4.5 stops for losses totaling 26 yards. 2006: Played in the team’s first two games vs. Northeastern and North Carolina before under-going season-ending surgery…granted a medical hardship, he finished with four tackles and a pair of quarterback pressures…recovered a blocked punt that he returned 7 yards versus North Carolina.

PERSONAL:
Attended Carteret (N.J.) High School…became the first player in school history to receive all-state first-team honors in consecutive seasons…The Super Prep and Prep Star All-American selection was rated the seventh-best strong-side defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com and was ranked eighth at his position in the country by Scout.com…added Associated Press all-state honors twice as a defensive end, but also competed as a fullback and outside linebacker…competed as a sprinter and in the weight events for the school’s track team…the Rivals-250 selection as a senior, registered 107 tackles that included 10.0 sacks and 18 other stops for loss that season, adding four fumble recoveries, as he forced five fumbles and came up with one interception…on offense, he collected 468 yards on the ground as a fullback, scoring 11 touchdowns…against Perth Amboy, amassed 183 yards on 11 carries that included two TDs, adding two sacks, three stops for loss and caused a fumble that he recovered for another score…as a junior, he delivered 87 tackles, along with 12.0 sacks and 22 stops behind the line of scrimmage to garner first-team all-state accolades…also scored four times while picking up 330 yards on 61 carries that season…closed out his gridiron career with 15 touchdowns and 849 yards on the ground, recording 292 tackles with 31 sacks, 42 stops for loss, 14 forced fumbles and three interceptions…went by Jason Adjepong as a freshman but legally changed his last name to Worilds in the summer of 2007…son of Sandra Worilds…born Jason Adjepong Worilds on 3/03/88 in Rahway, New Jersey.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech...

On March 11, 2015, Worilds unexpectedly announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 27 and after five years as a Pittsburgh Steeler. The choice to retire surprised many due to the start of the free agency period starting the day prior. He became an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career and was expected to receive a $7-$8 million salary with at least $15 million guaranteed. Multiple sources speculated Worilds chose to retire to dedicate his life to his religion as a Jehovah's witness. He finished his career with 25.5 career sacks...

Read more